SWING STATE: Campaign Focus Shifts

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Voters head to the polls in just six weeks, and leading up to the election political analysts are trying to predict the battleground states.

In this election, there are nine swing states where the presidential candidates are working overtime to win over voters.

However, Sunday morning on NBC’s Meet the Press, political Director Chuck Todd made a bold statement about Iowa’s role come November.

“Iowa has been a toss-up state, in the middle of the battle ground states but now with eight points puts it in President Obama's column,” says Todd.

The Iowa travel schedule's been full for both presidential campaigns in this battleground state, or at least most thought it was a battleground.

But after the NBC poll shows President Obama up by eight, a Drake University professor's not convinced.

“The candidates and the experts are now thinking that states like Wisconsin and Colorado may become more important to the candidates and there strategies and Iowa may be less important,” says Professor Art Sanders from Drake University.

But the Obama campaign just opened its 67th state office on Des Moines’ East side, and say it's not taking Iowa for granted.

“We like to get that good news, we like to hear good things about the polls, but that's only a little bit of information, I was out knocking on doors today and talking to people in the neighborhoods and they understand this is important and they need to get to the polls,” says Marc Wallace with the Iowa Obama campaign.

Governor Mitt Romney's campaign says Iowa’s very much still a battleground state, and that NBC poll is just one poll.

“The fact that it's been a dead heat and remains a dead heat by all the polling that I see means that Iowans have given up on this president, now it's our job to make the sale and to explain and demonstrate how governor Romney’s plan, his program and his past record shows how he can get the job done,” says David Kochel with Iowa’s Romney campaign.

Both campaigns expect their candidates to return soon to Iowa, as more voters make up their minds.

“I think Obama has a lot more to offer and has a wider base of support, he's touched many people's lives,” says Maria Downs of Des Moines.

“I'm leading towards Romney at this point, it's the focus on deficit, fiscal responsibility is driving it to me,” says Mark Reisinger of Ames.

However, it could be the remaining undecided who'll decide the winner, why Professor Sanders says it's not over yet.

“There's plenty of time, for things to change, it is still close,” says Professor Sanders.

Both campaigns say they're encouraging early voting, which you can do starting Thursday.